Blue Jay

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Tammie Rogers

Blue Jays are fairly large birds, at least compared to many of the other song birds that are wintering over here. They are obvious in their color and their calls which can be quite loud and varied. However, I consider these curious and clever birds to be very elusive when it comes to catching them for a photo opportunity.

I’m not sure how this species fares in more urban environments. Perhaps they are like the Great Blue Herons that frequent our pond during summer months. Once they spot me (and they have amazing vision – so that happens usually before I see them), I can’t get within fifty yards of them before they take flight. Yet, travel to coastal Florida and the stately heron fits well into the busy environment of a waterside restaurant where it routinely begs for tossed scraps from patrons of the establishment. Perhaps, the Blue Jay is more gregarious around hundreds of people, too. But, here in my neck of the woods, it is wary of getting too close to people which increases my motivation to get a good image of these handsome birds.

To improve my chances of snapping a photo, we offer peanuts or suet at the feeder. It helps draw these striking birds into range.

Maybe it’s because I was absent from the platform feeder for a few weeks that the Jays became more comfortable visiting it. Robert had taken the time to refill the station a few times during our bout with the respiratory virus, but otherwise there was no human activity in the area. Yesterday, which was my first time filming birds there, three Blue Jays stopped by and hung out a bit longer than their typical fly-in-and-out-to-nab-a-nut behavior.